The Roommate Agreement
by AdaLovely
Summary: Coming home to find his roommate sobbing hysterically was not how he expected his night to end. Nor did he expect it to be the night that changed everything in their friendship. A short story of longing, lust, and love. Rated M for language and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I'm not sure if I'm going to expand this into a short multi-chapter or not. I kind of want to because I've got all sorts of ideas for these two. It might be a bit of a wait though because I'm working hard on completing Stumbling Home. So for now, I hope you enjoy this smutty little O/S**

 **I do not own twilight or its characters.**

"Hey, Bella, are you alright?" I asked after knocking gently on her closed door. She didn't answer, but I could hear her muffled sobs on the other side of the door. "Bella, love, I'm coming in. Okay?"

Without waiting for her to answer I eased the door open slowly. I peered in and saw the pathetic sight of my sweet girl curled up on her bed. She looked exhausted and so weary. Her eyes were rimmed in red, her cheeks were wet and flushed, and her hair was a wild mess of curls. Anyone else would look like a crazy mess in this state, but of course Bella looked sexy as fuck in her tiny tank top and sleep shorts. She looked over at me sniffling, clearly trying to calm herself now that I was here to witness her breakdown.

"Bella, baby, what happened?" I asked as I joined her on the bed. I couldn't help myself I had to comfort her in any way I could. Pushing the hair back from her sweet face, I began to gently stroke her head.

She looked up at me with watery eyes, so beautiful even in her sadness. "I'm going to be alone forever," she whispered.

My brow furrowed in confusion. I couldn't take the distance any longer. I scooped her up and cradled her on my lap as I leaned against her plush headboard. Alice had made this room over before she moved. A parting gift to her favorite roommate. I had to give it to her, the room was insanely comfortable and totally Bella.

"Baby what are you talking about? What happened to make you so sad?" I asked anxiously as I continued to stroke her hair.

She clung to me as a soft shudder passed through her body. I pulled a small blanket from her bed and wrapped it around us. After a moment she spoke, her voice soft and rough from crying. "Alice and Rose set me up with some guy they knew from Alice's theater group. I didn't even want to go, but you guys all had dates tonight and they were so pushy about it I finally relented." She paused and wiped her face on the corner of the blanket. My heart broke at the idea of her going out with some asshole because the rest of us were out passing the time with some girls Emmett had set us up with. I was back early because the chick he'd dug up for me, Jessica, was unbearably clingy and bitchy. I extracted myself as soon as I could and I was so glad I had.

Her soft voice continued, interrupting my thoughts, "So I let Alice set me up with James, against my better judgement. The asshole made me wait twenty minutes at Carney's; I was just about to leave when he finally showed up. I tried to give him a chance, but he just kept trying to grab my tits at every turn. I think he was drunk when he showed up, to be honest. To make matters worse, he found the waitress equally enticing and was pawing at her ass, which she didn't seem to mind. Anyhow, I excused myself, saying I needed the bathroom and left the creepy groper to himself."

I was floored. Bella was literally the most beautiful woman I knew. She was kind, funny and smart as hell. I knew she didn't date much, but she always seemed so intensely focused on her studies; it seemed like she didn't have time for dating.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Do you want me to kick his ass?" I asked.

"No, he's not worth it," she giggled, though I'd been perfectly serious. Bella was one of my best friends and I didn't like people fucking with my friends. Honestly if it hadn't been for that stupid pact the five of us had made when we asked her to move in with us three years ago, I would have made a move on her ages ago. But I'd given my word, we all had, that I wouldn't fuck up our living situation by getting romantically involved with Bella. It seemed the only solution when we all wanted her.

"Okay I understand you had a shitty night, but why does it make you think you'll be alone forever. That seems like a dramatic response to one douchebag don't you think?" I asked, looking down at her sad face, ghosting my fingers across her damp cheek.

She gazed up at me, her eyes wide and pained, "I don't know. It feels like I only attract pricks. Anyone worthwhile seems to see me as more of a sister than a potential girlfriend."

My breath hitched at the pleading look in her eyes. It took every ounce of my control to keep myself from kissing her in that moment. She needed to know that she was so worth loving, so wanted.

"Love, you are so beautiful and sexy." I said kissing her nose instead of her soft full lips like I wanted to. "You are so smart, sweet and funny as hell." I dropped another kiss on her forehead. "Anyone would be foolish not to see what an amazing catch you are."

I pulled back again, meeting her eyes so that she could read the sincerity there. We remained like that for long moment, our eyes locked. She seemed to be searching for something as she stared intently at me. Her hand came up and softly caressed my cheek. I couldn't help but lean into her palm. A contented sigh escaped me before I could suppress it. My body had been fighting this attraction for years and now that she was this close to me some of my reactions were beyond my control.

Something new flashed in her eyes, bewilderment mixed with determination, maybe. I wasn't sure, but in the next moment she leaned in and pressed her soft lips to mine. I was helpless against such temptation. I returned her kiss with all of the love and lust I had been containing for years. And Bella met my lips with equal intensity. I pulled her full bottom lip into my mouth and nibbled on it like I'd longed to for ages. These lips that had haunted me for so long tasted just as sweet as I imagined they would. She moaned softly as I slid my tongue into her warm mouth. She moved across my lap as I caressed her tongue with my own. With her legs straddling my hips my hands instinctively found their way to her luscious thighs.

I loved Bella's body. It had tormented me for years. She was a tiny little thing with delicious curvy legs and the most amazing ass I'd ever seen. She had this sweet innocence that made you think of one of those coy, forties pinups with impossible proportions. Without my permission, my hands slid up further under the soft, tiny shorts she was wearing and grasped her perfect ass. I groaned as I realized she wasn't wearing anything under her shorts. Bella moaned and ground herself against my painfully hard erection, causing my hips to buck up in response.

Something in that movement made both of us suddenly aware of how quickly things had escalated. We each pulled back, our eyes locked as we each fought to control our breathing. The tiniest smirk on her lips was all the encouragement I needed; I lunged forward, capturing her lips again and pushing her back onto the bed. I hovered above her, my hips resting between her legs as I continued to explore her delicious mouth. I felt her hands travel down my chest and rest at my waist. It took me a second to realize that she'd started undoing my belt.

I pulled back to catch her eye again. She looked so certain, I decided to stop questioning this. I leaned down and kissed along her jaw and down her throat. Just as I was beginning to leave open, wet kisses along her cleavage, I felt my pants come lose. I helped her slide them down my hips, but I got distracted by her glorious tits. Her tank top had pulled down as we struggled with my jeans, and her left nipple was now peeking out. I captured it in my lips and sucked on the hardened nub. Bella moaned out my name in response which was my new favorite sound. Her top came off quickly after that and I had to take a moment to appreciate my first unobstructed view of her breasts. I traced my fingers lightly over the subtle tattoo under her right breast. I wanted to ask her about it, but now wasn't the time.

"Edward," she whined, letting me know how impatient she was getting.

I smirked at the sound and whipped my t-shirt off and tossing it across the room before pulling my pants and boxers the rest of the way off. I reached down and slid her little shorts off slowly. I wanted to savor her; I'd waited so long.

"Baby, you are so fucking gorgeous." I said, leaning down and kissing her navel. "Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?" Instead of answering me she moaned loudly as my fingers slid down to tease her dripping wet lower lips. I let my tongue travel along her navel and down to the top of her bare pussy. She smelled amazing, sweet and musky. I couldn't wait any longer. My tongue plunged into her wet heat and I was lost. I was dimly aware of Bella's hands gripping my hair and pulling me against her. I sucked and licked her swollen clit as she writhed beneath me. I slipped my arm beneath her and lifted her hips to give me better access. My fingers slid into her and I began to thrust them in sync with my mouth on her clit. Her moans got louder and felt her inner walls begin to quiver around my fingers. Adding a third finger I bit down slightly on her swollen clit causing Bella to clutch my head against her as she came hard around my fingers.

Continuing to lick and suck gently, I let her ride out her orgasm. I slid my fingers out of her and licked them clean. Bella watched me with hooded eyes. She seemed dazed as she watched my movements. Gripping my arm she guided me back up her body attacking my lips with a searing kiss. Her hand gripped firmly around my cock. The suddenness of her move caught me off guard and I bucked into her fisted hand.

"Fuck baby," I cried as she pumped me with languid strokes.

"I need you inside me now," she stated with conviction. I could only nod and groan in response as she continued to work my cock with her hand.

"Condom?" I asked. I really didn't want to run down the hall to my room right now, but I somehow doubted she kept any in her room.

"I'm covered and clean…" she said simply.

It took me a moment to realize what she was offering. "I'm clean. I promise." I said. "Baby are you sure? I can grab one from down the hall."

"I'm sure. I want to feel you inside me. Only you." God I loved this girl. She owned me. I wanted to tell her, but that was scary as fuck and I wasn't sure I could handle her rejection if it freaked her out. Instead I opted to show her. I kissed her deeply, trying to communicate everything I felt for this amazing creature into the kiss. As our lips slowed, I lined myself up at her entrance and began slowly pushing inside her warmth. She was so fucking tight. We moaned in unison as I entered her fully. I stilled above her for a moment, just savoring the warmth and completeness I felt. I placed soft kisses along her neck as I started slowly thrusting my hips. As we began to move together, it felt so natural, so right. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her how I'd wanted her from the moment I saw her. And how I'd loved her before I'd known her a week. I wanted to tell her how hard it was to stay away from her and that there hadn't been anyone else since I'd met her. I wanted to tell her everything, but the words got lost in our movements.

I was lost in Bella moaning my name as she gripped my shoulders and locked her ankles behind my back, pulling me harder against her. My hand gripping her hip slid down to grasp her perfect ass.

"Yes!" she cried as my fingers slid between her cheeks and caressed her gently there. Her eyes were dark and the look on her face was nearly frantic with lust. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

"Harder!" She cried desperately, "Please Edward! More!"

Something primal in me took over at her pleas and I began thrusting hard and fast into her small body. She met my thrust with equal passion. Unrestrained moans spilling from each of our lips. When I felt her walls begin to flutter around my cock I knew she was close.

"That's it baby. Come for me" I groaned low in her ear. " I want to feel you come on my cock." At that she cried out as her body shuddered. Her grip on my body tightened as her nails dug into my back. My own thrusts became erratic as I came hard inside her.

Our labored breathing was the only sound remaining in the room. Bella's grip on my back with her arms and legs loosened, but she didn't let go. I pulled back from the comfortable spot at her neck that I'd nuzzled my face into. Her expression was slightly dazed, but also apprehensive, cautious. I hated the uncertainty I found, but I knew it was my fault and I had to fix it as soon as possible. I'd spent the last few years pushing this beautiful creature away despite my love for her. Of course she's confused.

I leaned down and placed a slow loving kiss on her lips. I need her to know how I felt, even if she couldn't return my feelings. She should never doubt mine again. I pulled myself from her body and she whimpered in response. I lifted her to the center of the bed and draped the blankets on top of us before pressing her firmly against me.

"Bella, I never meant for that to happen, but I don't regret it. Do you?" I asked quietly as I stroked her hair.

She lifted her head slightly from my chest to catch my eye, "I could never regret that Edward. Never." She said quietly, but fiercely.

I smiled softly. "Good." I swallowed deeply, steeling myself for her reaction. "There's something else you need to know." I paused to gather my courage. Her breath caught and her face looked so vulnerable. Any apprehension I felt was pushed aside by concern for her. I needed to man up and tell her or she would assume the worst. "Bella, I…I love you. I've been so in love with you for so long. I know you probably don't feel the same way for me. I just need you to know that, so that there's no confusion."

Her forehead scrunched up and I could see all the questions forming, but she seemed to be having trouble verbalizing them. Her mouth opened and she inhaled as if she was about to speak, but nothing came out. It was excruciating waiting for her to gather her thoughts. After more than a minute of silence I couldn't take it anymore.

"Bella, you're killing me here. Please say something," I begged.

"but how?" she asked, "You always kept things so very….brotherly. You give me nuggies and call me kiddo, even though I'm only four years younger than you!" uh oh, Bella was getting pissed. This was not a good sign. Bella didn't get angry often, but when she did you better watch the fuck out. She sat up so that she was leaning on her elbow and looking down at me. I tried not to let my eyes wander down to her bare chest, but it was fucking impossible to ignore.

"Edward, we've lived together for three years! And you made it very clear to me, on more than one occasion that you did not find me the least bit attractive!" she accused.

I looked down, knowing she was right, but unsure of how to handle her anger. I wasn't sure what I expected, rejection maybe, but not this. I couldn't remember seeing her this pissed before and I had a feeling she was just getting going.

"Seriously Edward! Last New Years! I kissed you and you fucking turned your head and gave me your cheek!" I winced at the memory. Bella had been drinking and I was pretty sober because I was keeping an eye on her as usual.

"Bella you'd had a lot to drink that night. It was so hard to push you away, but I had to. You see that right?"

"No I don't see that! Last summer at the beach you flirted with that blond chick all day and fucking left me with that asshat Mike while you went and made out with her in the water. Then you left with her and I had to get a ride home with Rose and Alice. Excuse me if I have trouble believing you're in love with me!" Damn, that sounded bad when she put it like that!

"Hey, that's not how I saw that day happening, okay." I pleaded with my eyes for her to see my side of things. "Alice told me how you and that Mike douche were dating and I believed her. I may have been a bit jealous and acted stupidly with that blond chick. Her name was Kate by the way and she was really nice and understanding when I apologized for using her later that day. I felt horrible for treating her and you like that. Kate was cool. She said she could see how into you I was and that she was just having fun making out with me with no expectations. I know it was stupid, Bella, but it fucking hurt to see you with him! I didn't know until much later that Alice was full of shit and that you didn't want to date that kid. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Her eyes softened a bit at my explanation and I raised my palm to her face, caressing her cheek gently. "Why did you do it, though?" she asked. "Why did you push me away if you felt so strongly for me?"

I sat up against the headboard, raking my fingers through my hair. "Fuck Bella, I have a feeling you are not going to like what I have to tell you." She sat up further and to my disappointment pulled the sheet up around her torso hiding herself from me. I sighed and continued. "When we first met you, when you first came asking about the open room in the house, we almost didn't rent the room to you." She looked surprised and a little hurt at this. I could tell she was going to interrupt me so I placed my fingers on her lips and said, "Just let me get through this, okay?" She nodded and I continued, "Like I was saying, we almost didn't rent the room to you because we all found you extremely attractive and we knew there would be issues if you started dating someone in the house. Someone, I think it was Jasper, suggested that we should just all agree not to pursue anything romantic or sexual with you. That you were completely off limits to us and that would help us avoid any issues. I know it sounds stupid…it probably was really stupid. But we all thought it made sense at the time.

"That was before I realized that I wasn't just attracted to you. When I realized that I loved you I probably should have just come clean with everyone, but I didn't think you could feel the same way about me so it didn't seem like much of an issue."

She was quiet for a long moment. At some point she'd taken my hand on her lap and started toying with my fingers. She looked down at my hand and continued her absentminded touches as she considered my confession.

Suddenly she snorted. I looked up at in confusion as she started to giggle uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Oh. My. God." she said between gasps of laughter. "You're the only one who actually followed through on the pact. You're too honorable for your own good!" she kept laughing, but as the meaning behind her words sunk in I felt my stomach drop.

"You mean you've hooked up with other people in the house?" I asked, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice.

Her laughter stopped immediately. "No, I just meant that they all tried at one point or another to get in my pants. They were all unsuccessful…until now."

I couldn't help the crooked grin that crossed my face.

"Well, I did make out with Alice and Rose once when I was having a really rough time, but it didn't feel right. They wanted me to try a threesome with them, but they're so in love with each other, I just found the whole thing depressing. Like I was getting a peek into something special, but I'd never really be a part of it, you know? Anyhow, we just shared a few drunken kisses and I may have fondled Rose's gorgeous tata's a bit, but that's all." She just shrugged and looked up at me as if we were discussing this week's grocery list.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot with my mouth agape and my eyes wide, but really, how was I supposed to react to that!

When I regained my wits I shook my head a bit and said, "Okay so we'll get back to that story at another time." She just rolled her eyes at that. "You're telling me that every single one of our roommates has made a play for you and I'm the only one who took that pact shit seriously?!"

"Well, Jasper hits on me whenever he breaks up with a girl. He gets all melancholy and asks if I want to enter into a friends with benefits arrangement with him. Obviously I've told him no. As for Emmett, he gets really affectionate when he's drunk. He's tried to get into my pants pretty much every time we've partied together. It's one of the reasons I don't go out with you guys anymore. I know it doesn't mean anything to him. I'm just female and convenient."

"Wow. I'm gonna fucking kill those guys for making me agree to that shit. They know I wouldn't go back on my word. And they made such a big fucking deal about how jealousy could break our friendship. God, even Alice, who made me feel like I could never be worthy of you because I was such a whore the first couple years after I moved out here. She told me you weren't the kind of girl who would go for a player like me. That shit hurt…" I trialed off, trying to calm myself down before I became too pissed at my friends. It hadn't escaped my notice that Bella still hadn't responded to my confession of love. She'd only questioned it.

After another moment of quiet between us she asked, "You thought you weren't worthy of me because of your past?"

I shrugged, "Baby, from the time I was nineteen until pretty much the day I met you, I would sleep with anyone I found remotely attractive and willing. I never led girls on, but I also wasn't interested in anything more. I'm not proud of it and I honestly haven't slept with anyone since the day I met you-"

"You haven't had sex with anyone since you met me?" she asked incredulously.

"Well not until tonight… no." I responded nervously. Maybe she missed the part where I'd said I was madly in love with her and had been since I'd known her. How could I fuck someone else when all I could think of was her? I'm not that big of an asshole.

"But you go on so many dates. What about all those girls?"

"Emmett's always dragging me out with him, mostly playing wingman. I never went home with any of them. Early on I tried to kiss a couple of girls, but it just felt…wrong. So I kept things really casual, friendly, but nothing more. Emmett and Jasper never noticed, they were just looking to hook up with whoever they were with."

"But what about Tanya? You dated her for a month." She asked confused.

"I tried with Tanya, I really did. She was so…enthusiastic." I paused, trying to sort out my thoughts. "That was about a year after you moved in. I thought you were heading home for the summer and I could use the time to get over you. Tanya had been flirting with me and asking me out for months. Finally, I just gave in.

"We went out on dates, but I always kept my distance, ending the night with a kiss on the cheek. At first I think she thought I was just being a gentleman, taking it slow because she meant something to me. In reality, I couldn't stomach anything more with her. And then you got that internship and decided to stay the summer. When I went out with her I couldn't think of anything but getting back here to you so we could hang out.

"I let it drag on so much longer than I should have. She never really cared for me, that's why it took so long for her to get annoyed about the complete lack of physical intimacy in our relationship. She decided that I was gay. She told me she was okay with that and offered to marry me and be my beard as long as I kept her in a comfortable lifestyle and didn't make her sign a pre-nup."

Soft giggles surprised me. "I'm sorry," Bella laughed, "it's just that I was so upset about you and Tanya getting serious that I got drunk and made out with Alice and Rose." She was full out laughing now and I just stared back at her in shock.

"Why were you upset about me dating Tanya?" I asked, interrupting her laughter.

"Well I was jealous, of course," she stated simply, as if it were completely obvious.

"Bella," I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her flush against my side. "Are you saying you had feelings for me?" I asked hopefully.

She looked down shyly and said quietly, "Yes." Looking up at me through dark lashes she bit her lip and then made the ache in my chest loosen with her next words. "I've always had feelings for you, Edward. I love you too. I've loved you since that first night you helped me unpack my books and we talked about literature until three in the morning. How could I not fall in love with you after that?"

I took her face between my hands and kissed her soft lips slowly, lovingly. I wanted her to feel in our kiss how much I loved her and how deeply I had longed for her. Catching my breath, I pulled back and rested my forehead to hers.

"Baby, I love you so much it aches. Please tell me you'll be mine," I pleaded. "Please tell me we don't have to ever go back to the way things were. Because I will always be your friend, but I want so desperately to be much, much more to you. I want everything with you."

I felt her smile against my hands as they rested on her cheeks. "I want to be with you too, in any way you'll have me." She said before leaning in for another kiss.

Just then we heard the loud bang of the front door shutting downstairs followed by the booming voice of our roommate Emmett. "Hey losers, is anyone home? Are you geeks already in bed for the night?"

At that Bella snorted and fell into a fit of laughter and I couldn't help but follow.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey there friends! Long time…and all that! Here's a chapter I've been sitting on for this little story. I'm thinking one more chapter after this should just about do it. But I like these two so I may add on at some point with some futuretakes or an epi.**

 **For those of you waiting on Stumbling Home updates, they're coming, I'm promise! Things got nutso busy in RL and then I sort of lost my writing mojo for a while there. I've got a chapter nearly finished and the last few should follow weekly. I personally** ** _hate_** **waiting for conclusions, so I promise to get it to you asap now that the words are flowing freely again.**

 **Oh and I don't own twilight and all that, but I do own this sweet, fluffy/filthy little plot.**

My fingers brushed over her skin again and again in the same spot, tracing the letters and the delicate swirls of ink marking just under her breast. I'd been obsessing over it all morning. She was still sleeping, her head resting on my chest. I'd never really enjoyed this before. The cuddling, the closeness people craved after sex. I never understood why people wanted to linger in bed with someone. Sleeping with limbs entwined seemed impractical and uncomfortable. But I couldn't seem to take my hands off of Bella now that I was free to touch her the way I'd longed to.

I swept the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. Smiling at the gentle snores she was making. Her hot breath fell on my bare chest and her fingers twitched slightly over my heart. That was something new I'd learned about Bella in the last twelve hours. Her hands and occasionally her feet twitched slightly when she was deeply sleeping. I smiled at the idea that I still had more to learn about this sweet girl. I was foolish enough, just yesterday, to think that I knew everything about the girl I loved, but now I could see how naive that was. Before yesterday I never knew that she spoke in her sleep. I never knew that she made soft gasps and breathy moans when she was near climax. Or that she loved when I licked, sucked or even bit the place where her neck met her shoulder. I also never knew that she had this tattoo hiding under her gorgeous breast. But I still didn't know what it meant. It was written in Spanish, but I never learned to speak it. I recognized a few of the words, like love and…okay so I recognized one word, but I'd opted to learn German in high school and then Mandarin in college so…yeah, not great with Spanish. The little elegant letters GGM at the end of the phrase were puzzling me at the moment. It was most likely a quote given Bella's unnatural obsession with literature.

The soft snoring slowed and I felt my girl begin to stir as my fingers continued to trace the GGM on her chest.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? You wore me the hell out. Aren't you tired too?" She lifted her head slightly from my chest and looked up at me with sleepy eyes. Deep pools of brown that had so much power over me it was fucking ridiculous.

"Gabriel Garcia Marquez!" I said suddenly. Excited by my own insight. See, I did know a thing or two about this beautiful girl. Maybe I did deserve to be with her.

She looked up at me with a confused scowl, "Wha-?" she asked, eloquently.

I ran my fingers across her tattoo with slightly more pressure than I'd been using. "What does it mean?" I asked quietly. She took a moment to catch up with me. I can't blame her; she had no idea what madness was spinning in my head.

"Oh." Realization colored her voice. "It's a quote from 'Love in the Time of Cholera". It says, 'Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything but the alpha and the omega, an end in itself.'"

"When did you have this done?"

She looked slightly uncomfortable at the question. But she answered, "Last summer, a couple of weeks after your birthday party."

I tried to remember anything strange about my birthday party and I was drawing a blank. I remembered Emmett and Jazz inviting every girl they knew over and getting us a stupid fucking bounce house in the back yard. Really bad idea to have a bounce house and tons of free liquor at your party. Emmett ended the night with a black eye courtesy of Jasper's knee and Alice nearly broke her neck falling out of the thing. Eventually I shut that shit down when Bella busted out the tequila. That girl cannot hold her tequila. She was so drunk she tried to get in my pants when— Oh shit, did she remember that? She was wasted and she'd acted so normal the next day, I just assumed she'd blacked that shit out.

"Baby did something happen at the party to inspire this?" I asked brushing my fingers again on her ink before settling my hand on her breast.

"Mmmm…." she hummed in response to my groping. Probably not conducive to conversation, but it was right fucking there, waiting for my hand to give it some attention. "Umm…" she continued after a minute. "I don't know. Now it seems stupid, but I don't regret the tattoo. It's been a bit of a mantra to me."

"Why?" I was dense enough to have to ask.

"Well, to me it speaks about the importance of love for the sake of love, without the expectation of something in return. I was particularly down on myself after that party, after throwing myself at you and being rejected, after seeing that girl Lauren exiting your room in the morning. I just needed to draw strength from the idea that my love for you was not conditional on it being returned. It was the start of me accepting that you would probably never feel the same about me. That I should appreciate the love as a gift in itself and try to move on." She sniffed as I wiped the tears from her cheeks. What had I done to deserve that kind of devotion? I don't believe I will ever be truly deserving of her, but I will spend every day of my life trying to.

"Bella, that's beautiful. Horribly sad and I wish I could take back so much of the pain I caused with my stupidity. I will forever regret hurting you. I thought you were wasted that night. I would never take advantage of you like that. I didn't even think you remembered it. And as for some chick coming out of my room, that may be true, but I didn't spend the night there. I spent it outside in one of the patio chairs. Just me, a bottle of Jack and a whole lot of self-pity."

"Oh baby, that sounds like a shitty birthday. I must have made it so much more difficult on you, throwing myself at you like that even if I wasn't as drunk as you thought. I might have been playing that up a bit, in case you rejected me."

"I made that situation. I could have talked to you, but I pushed you away like an idiot." I held her face gently, brushing away the few tears that lingered under her eye. "Can you ever forgive me for putting you through that? I'm not sure I'll be able to forgive myself."

"There's nothing to forgive Edward. You were only doing what you thought was right. You were trying to keep your promise." She was so gracious. I could have handled a lot of things better, but she was willing to overlook my callous behavior. I leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

"I don't deserve you. I will be here trying to be the man you deserve and need, until you send me away." I said, watching as her eyes widened at my words.

Just as she opened her mouth to respond a loud banging interrupted our quiet morning bubble.

"Bella-B! Belly! Belly! Belly!" Emmett shouted as he rapped loudly on the door. "Make us some pancakes, pleeeeaaaassee!" he whined through the door.

We both stared at the door in disgust. Emmett could be an ass, but it was so much worse when he was hungry or hungover. I suspected both.

Bella looked at me as she shouted, "Go away Em! There are pancakes in the freezer, but I'm sleeping for another hour!"

"Aww! Please, the fresh ones you make with chocolate chips are the best. I'm sure Eddie would like some too when he gets up. That lazy fucker's still sleeping!"

I watched as she suppressed a giggle. "The ones in the freezer will tide you over for an hour. Now go away or I'm not making anything for you at all!" With that she dropped her head back down onto my chest and tightened her arms around me. Emmett seemed to heed her warning because there was nothing but the sound of his retreating footsteps after that. I pulled her tight and nuzzled her hair.

"I love you so much Bella." I whispered into her hair. I didn't think it adequately expressed how I felt for her, but it would have to do.

"I love you too," she said with a yawn.

"Sleep now, Love. I'll wake you in an hour."

"m'Kay," she muttered, already halfway to sleep.

As Bella slept in my arms, I began thinking about our friends and how I'd let them lead me astray with Bella. I'd let it happen, but I'd also believed my friends were following their own promises too. In reality, it was just me taking that shit seriously and both Bella and I had been hurt as a result. I couldn't help but start to plot some serious payback for those fuckers. Especially Rose and Alice. I mean those two actually took advantage of my girl's feelings for me. They tried to seduce her in a moment of weakness. Em and Jazz are bad, but I think they're just idiots.

No, those assholes all need to learn some serious lessons. Bella would never seek revenge on her own; she's got a gentle soul. She might stew and plot revenge, but never actually follow through. I'll have to convince her that this is a lesson our roommates need to learn. Too bad Rose and Alice are so far away. Late last summer they moved to New York where Alice had an internship lined up. We'll have to be clever in how we deal with them. Mischievous retribution from long distance can be a tricky business.

Bella stirred in my arms and looked up at me with sleepy eyes.

"What's got you thinking so hard? I can practically hear your wheels spinning from here," she mumbled sweetly.

"Just trying to sort out what to do about our friends," I answered, brushing the hair from her face so I can see her fully. God she's fucking beautiful.

She hummed thoughtfully. "They really do deserve some kind of fallout from this fuckery don't they?" she said surprising the hell out of me. I'm sure the devious smirk that grew on my face looked absurd, but I reveled in the sound of her responding giggle.

"Let me think on it a bit," she mused. "I'll be sharper after I've had some caffeine. For now, I think we should keep things between us quiet." I'm sure my face morphed into a harsh scowl because she rushed to explain, "Not because I don't want to tell people, believe me I would love to tell everyone that we're together, but this is a secret we can use to fuck with those meddling idiots. I think it's the best weapon in our arsenal at this point."

"Fine," I conceded petulantly. "I'm not sure I can keep my hands off of you, but I'll try."

Without warning, she hopped out of bed in all her naked glory. I slung my arm quickly around her waist and tugged her back down to the mattress causing her to giggle wildly.

"Where do you think you're going baby girl?" I asked. Her laughter slowed and she shivered as my breath caressed her soft skin, my lips tracing the edge of her jaw.

"I…I was gonna get dressed and make breakfast?" she said, her voice rising in question at the end.

"But I'm not done with you yet, sweet girl." I slid my hand down along her gorgeous curves until it came to rest on the soft mound between her delicious thighs. "They can wait a while longer."

My fingers slid into her folds, finding her warm and wet for me. She arched up, her back rising off the bed as I plunged two fingers into her.

"You've got to be quiet for me. Can you do that?" I teased as my fingers moved in and out of her. She nodded mutely. I made my way down her body, tasting her heated skin as I moved. She whimpered as my tongue circled her swollen clit. I could tell she was trying to keep quiet, but her moans got louder as I brought her body rapidly to climax. I love that I was learning her body this way—that I could drive her crazy so quickly. I watched in awe at the look on her face flush with ecstasy; it was a sight I would never tire of.

As she came down from her high, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. She sprang up from the bed and shoved against my shoulder with more force than I expected from her small body. Rolling onto my back with a surprised huff, I let me legs dangle off the edge of the bed. She straddled my hips, sending me a coy smile, before slipping down to the floor between my parted legs. Coming up onto my elbows I watched with fascination as she gripped my length in her hand. Her lips parted and she leaned in to leave slow wet kisses on the tip of my painfully hard cock. Before I could stop it a strangled groan left my throat at the sight of her mouth sinking down around me.

"Fuuuck!" I cried out hoarsely.

She pulled her mouth off of me with a small 'pop'.

"Sshhhhhhh!" she admonished playfully before resuming her efforts.

My hands found their way into her wildly mussed hair and she gripped onto my thighs as she moved over my shaft, taking me in as deeply as she could. It took everything in me not to thrust up into her mouth. I had no idea if that was something she would like, but damn if I wasn't desperate to try it. She moved her hand down and gripped the base of my cock, working it in tandem with her mouth.

"Baby…" I gritted out in warning as she hollowed her cheeks around me. My hold on her hair tightened as fought for control. "Shit…I'm gonna cum…baby…"

I tried to pull her off, but she gripped my thigh fiercely as she sped up her pace. I couldn't keep my hips still, my thrusts meeting her movements as I came hard, pulsing into her hot mouth. It took me a few minutes before I could think again. When I finally was able to focus on anything other than my own rapid heartbeat, I looked up to find a very self-satisfied Bella hovering over me. The proud expression on her face was so adorable, I was compelled to pull her down and kiss her deeply.

"Damn baby girl, you're just full of surprises aren't you?" I asked in wonder.

She smirked at me before hopping up from the bed and heading across the room.

"We've only just gotten started," she tossed over her shoulder as she disappeared behind her closet door.

I must have dozed off for a few minutes because when I opened my eyes again I was greeted with the sight of Bella emerging from the bathroom fully dressed. I was vaguely aware that she was speaking to me, but I couldn't focus on the words she was saying. My attention was captivated by the smooth, creamy expanse of skin before me. Her waist was cinched in some retro looking shorts that left miles of leg on display. And her tits were framed perfectly in some red halter top number covered in black cherries. She looked like all kinds of trouble and my brain officially gave up trying to formulate thoughts as I gaped openly at her.

A sharp crack against my face brought me out of my stupor.

"Damn, baby. What was that for?" I asked rubbing my cheek.

Bella rolled her eyes as she kneeled onto the bed beside me.

"You were stuck in some kind of boob induced trance. I had no other choice," she answered.

"Sorry," I mumbled insincerely.

She just rolled her eyes again and said, "I have an idea for fucking with our friends."

I knew she'd come through. "Cool. Let's hear it." I reached up and pulled on the back of her neck, bringing her down for a kiss.

She pulled away, a little dazed herself, giving me a soft smile.

"Well Jasper and Emmett are easy, because they're, you know, here. We can just gaslight them a bit," she stated simply.

At my blank look she continued, "You know make them think they're crazy by slowly changing the norm. I was thinking I can become increasingly flirtatious with them, but super slowly and you have to act like there's nothing odd about my behavior or it won't work. If you act jealous then the whole deal is blown. They each have to think it's all in their heads," she shrugged.

"Uh….Nope." I declared with finality. "I am not watching you flirt with those bastards and pretending it doesn't bother me. That is not a fucking option."

"Well then what do you propose? I refuse to do anything truly cruel. I don't want to have some big argument over it. I just thought it'd be funny to fuck with them a bit."

Her idea was a good one, if I didn't have years of pent up jealousy and frustration brewing. No, I would never survive that. I'm not sure I could even survive pretending I'm not madly in love with her for any length of time. Suddenly the perfect idea came to mind. Only question was: could I get her to agree to a truly crazy scheme…for as long as we both shall live?

"I think I've got something better," I told her. "How opposed are you to skipping classes for a couple of days?"


End file.
